


Hold For All Eternity

by senioritastyles



Series: 25 Days of Ficmas [13]
Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Aquariums, Fluff, Lashton - Freeform, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, beach date, luke is an aquarium employee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2016-12-13
Packaged: 2018-09-08 08:52:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8838265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/senioritastyles/pseuds/senioritastyles
Summary: Ashton's been to this aquarium so many times that he could find his way around without the maps and signs, but there's a new exhibit that just opened last week and his siblings have been dying to go see so they made a family day out of it—Ann even took off work for it. The whole way here Ashton had to listen to incessant babbling about the new penguin area and how cute the penguins will be and not even the radio can save his ears from hearing Lauren and Harry lose their god damn minds over some arctic ducks things. Ashton's never been particularly interested in penguins himself, he's more of a shark guy and they tend to eat penguins, but he's glad he gets a day to spend with his family since that doesn't seem to happen lately. Or: Luke works at the new penguin exhibit and Ashton asks him out.





	

**Author's Note:**

> (title is from Sorrow by Flyleaf)

Ashton's been to this aquarium so many times that he could find his way around without the maps and signs, but there's a new exhibit that just opened last week and his siblings have been dying to go see so they made a family day out of it—Ann even took off work for it. The whole way here Ashton had to listen to incessant babbling about the new penguin area and how cute the penguins will be and not even the radio can save his ears from hearing Lauren and Harry lose their god damn minds over some arctic ducks things. Ashton's never been particularly interested in penguins himself, he's more of a shark guy and they tend to eat penguins, but he's glad he gets a day to spend with his family since that doesn't seem to happen lately.

 

Despite all the whining from his siblings, Ashton leads them through the actual aquarium parts first instead of just beelining for the undoubtedly overcrowded penguin exhibit. They head for the tropical fish and much like Ashton thought, Harry and Lauren are immediately mesmerized by the bright colors and odd shapes of all the different species. They're speeding walking from tank to tank, calling for each other to come see this one and look at that one, pointing each fish out and trying to pronounce the funny names. Ashton walks along at a much calmer pace with his mom by his side, the two of them watching Harry and Lauren and casually glancing at the tanks as they walk by. 

 

"I remember when you were their age." Ann says, her voice hushed in the room full of families and couples. "You were always so excited to see the fish and you gave all the blue ones names."

 

Ashton snorts a laugh. "Just the blue ones had names?"

 

"Yep, just blue. I asked you why and you said because you liked blue, so every time you saw a blue fish you gave it a name." Ann chuckles, shaking her head and Harry and Lauren crane their necks to try to spot a fish that's hiding behind all of the plant life floating with it in the tank.

 

Ashton laughs at the expense of his younger self, striding over and grabbing Harry around the waist, lifting him up so he can finally catch sight of the elusive fish. He helps Lauren next, and she kisses his cheek as a thank you after he puts her down. The two of them tug him off to the next tank, a bigger one with a variety of colors and shapes and sizes of fish, where he helps them pick out and identify all the different ones inside. They follow the logical trail of rooms and exhibits, watching the jellyfish and stingrays and dolphins, until it eventually brings them to Ashton's favorite part—the sharks. This exhibit has always been the best part for him, walking into all kinds of different common shark species like hammerhead, nurse, and sand tiger. It's forty feet across a wide bridge-like structure, literally surrounded by sharks and some other animals as he passes through the tunnel tank. He always found it fascinating, being able to walk underneath of a swimming shark while simultaneously walking next to another one, and it's no different now at twenty-two years old. He keeps his sibling close by and he points out all the species he knows, chuckling when Harry gets excited that he recognized one type from watching shark week over the summer.

 

Sooner than he realizes they're at the entrance to the penguin exhibit, and area he remembers used to be the link from the main aquarium to one of the gift shops. He can see that the gift shop has been moved to the other side of the exhibit now, practically hidden behind the massive penguin structure. It's an outside exhibit with an upper part where there are ice and snow-like things everywhere for the penguins to walk around and play on and a lower part where you can go down a small flight of stairs and see into the tank of water and watch the penguins swim. There's a commotion of people near the front of the crowd and they're all shushing the kids around them and Ashton's confused until he sees an aquarium employee letting himself into the exhibit with a bucket in his hands. Ashton is immediately struck by how good looking the employee is, tall with ridiculously broad shoulders and dirty blonde hair and brilliant icy blue eyes and a dusting of scruff littering his jawline, the same color as his hair, and Ashton is suddenly much more interested in the penguin exhibit. The boy is dressed in the standard aquarium inform, a royal blue polo shirt with the aquarium logo on the left breast area and tan khaki shorts. He's got on tall black Wellington boots as well, which Ashton knows is probably a unique part of the new exhibit uniform considering the boy has to actually walk around with the animals and through the very wet and slippery looking exhibit. 

 

"Hi!" The employee shouts, the crowd falling into an excited hush. "I'm Luke. How is everyone doing today?"

 

The crowd answers with a muddle of 'good' at various different volumes and octaves; Ashton decides he likes the boy's voice a lot with it's deep but still boyish tone. "I'm here to tell you a few really cool facts about our new penguins, how does that sound?" Luke asks with a cheery smile on his face, to another chorus of words that are barely discernible but have a general positive note. Luke puts gloves on his hands, thick ones that look to Ashton like they're made for gardening or something, before he starts pulling dead fish from the bucket and tossing them to the waiting penguins. "Alright then, the first thing you should know is that penguins eat lots of different things, like these fish I'm giving them now which are called sardines; they can also eat krill, shrimp, and different types of crustaceans. They're also flightless birds, and there about 17 different species of penguins in the world."

 

Luke goes on and on about each different type of penguin and what makes them different from each other, explaining that the kind they have at this aquarium are African penguins. Ashton is tuning out the information in favor of just watching Luke speak and listening to the soft lilt of his voice. He picks up on a slight shift in Luke's tone, one that's much gentler and yet somehow more excited, and it alerts him to start listening again.

 

"The Adelie penguins, which are my favorite ones, do something very special when one of them likes another." Luke starts, smiling crookedly and looking fondly at the crowd. "They have a sort of proposal from the male to the female just like humans do, but they don't have diamond rings in the wild." The crowd collective giggles and Luke looks happy that his attempt at a joke was received. "Instead, the male penguins search around for a pebble, but not just any pebble....the perfect pebble. They look for the smoothest, roundest pebble they can find and then they bring it back to the female penguin and give it to her the way we would give someone a ring. If the female accepts the pebble, the two penguins are together forever."

 

The crowd lets out a mixture of 'aws' and Ashton can't help but smile at how adorable that is and how happy Luke looks about it. It really strikes a chord with him for some reason, the way Luke's face seems so intrigued by the simple fact that penguins give each other pebbles as courting gifts. It makes Ashton heart feel strange and fluttery and he can't help himself as he waves his family on when they head for gift shop, hanging back and waiting for the crowd to clear out from around the fence to the exhibit. The exhibit has its own special hours and it's set to be closed from public access in two minutes, so Ashton very quickly approaches the now cleared fence, nervousness bubbling up in his throat.

 

"Hey." He calls, much quieter now that there isn't a hoard of people around.

 

Luke looks over from his spot across the exhibit where he was tossing more fish to the penguins who couldn't quite get any when he was talking. "Hi, can I help you?"

 

"Uh, I wanted to ask you a question." Ashton admits, cheeks tinting pink as Luke finishes off throwing what's in the bucket and comes closer with a smile.

 

"Sure, ask away."

 

Ashton isn't quite sure how to approach this, completely new at the whole playing coy and being flirtatious thing. He ultimately decides against it because figuring it out right now would just take too long and be awkward and it's already a little awkward to begin with. "Would you like to come on a date with me?"

 

Luke looks entirely shocked and caught off guard by the question, blinking rapidly with his mouth half open. "A date?"

 

Ashton's full on blushing at this point, leaning against the fence with a sheepish expression. "I, uhm, yeah. A date. I realize you might, might not even be into guys but you're really cute and you have a nice smile, and I was just wondering if you wanted to go on a date with me."

 

Luke is smiling now, head tilted just a little bit to the side as he looks at Ashton. "Can I at least know your name before I answer that?"

 

Ashton wants to slap himself in the face because here he is trying to ask this boy out and he didn't even bother to introduce himself first. "Ashton. My name is Ashton." 

 

"Well, Ashton, I would love to go on a date with you." Luke tells him, grinning like the sun.

 

Ashton honestly was not expecting a 'yes' but he's so glad he got one. "Oh, wow, cool. Uhm, are you free tomorrow?"

 

Luke nods. "Yeah, I work the same day shift so I get off work at three." 

 

"Awesome, I can pick you up here at three then." Ashton says, smiling happily and pulling out his phone from his back pocket. "Here, put your number in."

 

Luke pulls off his fish gloves and tosses them in the bucket, knowing he'll have to wash both thoroughly before he leaves work anyway, taking Ashton's phone and punching in his number to create a new contact. He adds his name and saves it, handing it back to Ashton and promising to see him tomorrow. Ashton nods and watches Luke make his way out of the exhibit, waving at Ashton before he disappears from sight.

 

\-------------------------------------------------

 

Ashton can't even remember the last time he went on a proper date, but he's sure he was never this nervous before. He's been standing in front of his closet for a half hour, still wrapped in his shower towel with his hair partly dry as he searches for something suitable to wear. He's not taking Luke anywhere fancy, in fact it's just an early picnic dinner on Ashton's favorite beach, but he still wants to look decent for Luke so he's struggling a little bit. He knows his signature black skinny jeans are a must and that there's no getting around wearing those along with his black high top Converse All Stars, but the shirt is where he's stumped, caught between two options. Ultimately he decides on a red short sleeved shirt with a thin white stripe around the neck and two more thin white stripes around the sleeves, slipping it on and setting about styling his hair messily, knowing the wind on the beach will ruin anything he tries to do anyway.

 

He checks the time on his phone and realizes he has to leave now if he wants to pick Luke up on time, so he grabs the food his mom and Lauren packed up for them and he grabs his car keys and heads out, making it to the aquarium in record time. He pulls around towards the back entrance like Luke told him to in his text this morning, pulling into a spot and parking the car, watching the door for Luke to come out. When he does not five minutes later, Ashton hardly recognizes him. Luke is dressed in a pair of black skinnies that are equally as tight as Ashton's and a plain black t-shirt with black boots on his feet, his hair messy and almost windswept. The blonde stops on the edge of the sidewalk and stands sort of awkwardly, looking at his phone as Ashton pulls out of the spot and drives up to where Luke is waiting. Luke smiles warmly at him and gets in the car, buckling his seat belt as Ashton drives off.

 

"Hey." Ashton greets, smiling in Luke's direction as he waits to turn out of the parking lot.

 

"Hi." Luke says, biting his lip as he stares at the Australian streets whizzing by. "Where are we going?" He wonders, feeling a small zing of excitement when Ashton makes a few turns that bring them closer to the beach.

 

Sure enough Ashton confirms, "The beach." 

 

Luke can't keep the smile off his face as they pull into one of the beach specified parking lots and get out, Ashton making sure to grab the packed food and a blanket from the backseat before locking the car and following Luke onto the sand. The beach is mostly empty, especially on this part since it's so far away from the boardwalk and the attractions, so it's easy for Luke to pick them a spot and help Ashton spread the blanket out over the sand. They sit quickly before the wind can blow the blanket away and Ashton pulls out the food and passes one of each wrapped thing to Luke. 

 

"This is adorable." Luke giggles, pulling the plastic cling wrap from around a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

 

Ashton laughs around the small bite he's already taken of his sandwich, swallowing it down before speaking. "My mom and my little sister thought it would be cute, so they put it all together for us."

 

Luke bites into his sandwich and nods, cracking open one of the still slightly chilled water bottles and taking a big sip. "That was very sweet of them."

 

Ashton nods, opening one of the small plastic bags of trail mix and grabbing a few pieces out, popping them in his mouth. They eat and exchange small talk for what feels like forever, the sun starting to set over the ocean by the time they're both done, each knowing significantly more about each other. The sound of the waves is calming as they clean up the trash from their dinner and fold up the blanket, tossing the waste in one of the big trash cans.

 

"Can we go for a walk?" Luke asks softly, eyes trained on the rolling tide as it wets the sand closest to it.

 

Ashton has no willpower against the way the sunset bathes Luke in gold and makes his eyes shine like carnival lights. "Sure." He holds his hand out for Luke and he's grateful when Luke takes it, still holding the blanket in his other arm.

 

They walk slowly right along the edge of wet sand, the water just barely touching the sides of Ashton's feet before receding again, and Luke talks about his love for the ocean. Ashton listens to every word, watching his step in the sand where he knows little crabs like to hide. His eyes catch on something small and black, shiny and wet from the water and glistening in the faded sunlight. He lets go of Luke's hand and crouches down, pulling it from the sand and letting the water run over it to wash the extra off. It's a pebble, smooth and round and pitch black, something an Adelie penguin might classify as the perfect pebble. Ashton notices that's Luke's gone entirely silent above him, probably confused as to why Ashton's playing around in the sand.

 

"Luke...." He mutters, just loud enough for the blonde to hear him over the crashing waves. 

 

"Yeah?" Luke wonders, trying to actually see what Ashton's holding since it's mostly hidden by Ashton's head and shoulders. 

 

Ashton smiles as he turns more towards Luke and holds out the pebble so Luke can see it. "Will you accept my pebble?"

 

Luke's jaw drops but he still manages to smile incredulously, wanting to laugh but his nerdy marine biology student side is giddy with happiness because he really did mean it when he said Adelie penguins are his favorite and the pebble phenomenon has always been the most fascinating thing to him. Now here he is with an adorable boy offering him the ideal pebble, waiting for him to accept it like a male penguin would a female. He knows what it means to accept the pebble, that this is Ashton's way of asking him to be his, and he can't resist nodding and taking the pebble from Ashton.

 

"Of course I will." He decides, feeling his heart swell as Ashton stands back up.

 

Luke's hand closes tightly around the pebble as Ashton leans in and places a soft kiss on his cheek and then leans in closer to place another one on Luke's shoulder, lingering there with a smile. 

 

"Come on." Ashton mutters, throwing his arm around Luke's shoulders and guiding him further down the beach, walking along with their hearts bonded together by the perfect pebble.

**Author's Note:**

> WELCOME TO FICMAS DAY 13!!!!!!! Guys, I can't believe we're this far in already like wow there's only 12 days left until the end of ficmas and Christmas day. It just seems like it's going by way too fast, but either way today you get some fluffy Lashton based on a picture I saw that had the fact about the penguin pebble thing on it. I of course checked it with my own research and it's true, Adelie penguins really do this and that's just extra cute. I already love penguins but this just sealed the deal for me. I hope you all enjoyed this, please leave comments below, and I love all of you to pieces. <3
> 
>  
> 
> tumblr: senioritastyles & babyhemhem  
> twitter: xtraceex  
> instagram: traceethekid  
> snapchat: youngtray


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